Bases for plasma displays are produced by patterning a composition for forming an electroconductive pattern on a substrate material by means of a thick film printing such as screen printing and endowing with electroconductivity by calcination.
Hitherto, products in the form of paste in which finely divided metal particles and glass frits are dispersed into an inert organic vehicle have been provided as the electroconductive pattern. Particularly in a base for plasma displays, nickel powder has been employed as the metal powder owing to their excellent anti-sputtering properties.
Recently, there have also been developed compositions for forming electroconductive patterns in which phosphorus or silicon is incorporated into a nickel-boron alloy (Ni.sub.3 B) with the view of improving of their resistance to oxidation on calcination (U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,168 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 5521/1986).
Lately, plasma displays are developed and marketed with the inclination toward the enlargement of their size and the decrease of their pitches to form a fine pitch. The larger the displays, the longer their electrodes. Also, if it is intended to decrease the pitches, the electrode should be formed in a thinner shape. Thus, requirements for the electroconductivity of electrode materials are increased. As one of the methods for increasing the emission brightness of plasma displays, there are a memory driving method. However, in this case a plurality of plasma discharge currents are converged into one electrode, and therefore it is required for the electrode material to have a higher electroconductivity.
It is however the present situation in compositions for forming electroconductive patterns which have been provided at present that, while these compositions have anti-oxidation property of the nickel metal on the formation of the electroconductive pattern (calcination) in air, the electroconductivity of the calcined product obtained is insufficient and thus is not satisfactory for the enlargement of the size, the increase of pitches and the formation of memory of the plasma displays.
On the other hand, in small size plasma displays, it is also required for compositions for forming electroconductive patterns which have been provided at present to increase the thickness of a pattern or to thicken the pattern as much as possible for the purpose of substantially lowering the resistance of the electrode, and such requirements restrict the structures and properties of the plasma displays. Moreover, materials to be used and steps for production increases in the production of the plasma displays, and further the cost also increases.